obama has leverage now because he really doesn't care if you go over the fiscal cliff or curb or slope, or whatever you want to call it. but in february we will hit the debt ceiling. and if we break through the debt ceiling we will unleash an economic hell on this nation. and no president would allow that, right? so that is republican leverage, as they see it. unlike them, obama is not willing to destroy the global economy. and so they figure there is no real need to cut a deal now, because if that deal, particularly if they deal includes concessions like taxes, just wait a couple of months, take the debt ceiling hostage and make everybody believe you'll shoot. this is making boehner weaker. it gives haas republicans an excuse to ignore the cuts the deal he makes. they say oh, we'll just wait it out. the concern that boehner will cut a deal that he can't actually deliver, or at the last minute he'll back off a deal because he won't have the votes. the white house, by the way, they don't think the debt ceiling is republican leverage. when you talk to them, they are all steel right now o